Certain 2-hydroxy-2-phenylbutyl-sulfonate and 2-hydroxy-2-phenylbutylsulfamate compounds have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,900,509 and 3,954,440. These compounds are active herbicides. Some related substituted alkylsulfonate and alkylsulfamate compounds are also useful in enhancing the activity of triazine herbicides.
The substituted butyl sulfonate, substituted butyl sulfamate, substituted pentylsulfonate and substituted pentyl sulfamate compounds may be prepared from the requisite alpha-substituted styrenes as described in said U.S. patents in which the styrene compound is first converted to a diol and is then mono-esterified with the requisite substituted sulfonic acid or sulfamic acid.
However, it is more economical under some circumstances to prepare the desired sulfonates and sulfamates from the corresponding epoxybutanes and epoxypentanes. These epoxyalkane compounds are prepared from the requisite .alpha.-substituted styrenes in accordance with the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,549.
Methods of preparation from the epoxyalkanes have heretofore required the use of several process steps.